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How to Turn Your Favorite Crafts into a Lucrative Business

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I used to read blogs all day, then I started writing myself in 2009. The shift from consumer to creator has been a beautiful adventure. It’s inspired me to share with you my tips on how to turn your favorite craft into a moneymaking business, too.

Let’s face it: doing what you love is the best, but the appeal is greater if it makes income. You’ve had your doubts, especially when it comes to turning a profit. But I’m here to tell you that there’s no reason you can’t succeed. You may have started crafting when you were a toddler, but you’re a professional now. It is your time to shine.

Think Ahead

There has never been a time that’s more conducive to selling your handmade crafts than now. One reason is Etsy, the internet’s number 1 online market for DIY goods. With the boundaries of physical geography erased, your creations will have a digital consumer reach that is greater than any time in history.

Build a Social Media Following

You don’t need much to build hype. You could have only one kind of bracelet to sell, if you made people feel like it was the ultimate bracelet every single person needed to have on the planet. Not feeling very confident with this whole branding thing? I understand. Easier said than done. Poke around Instagram and learn from the best. You’ll notice that successful social media influencers have a specific angle, whether that’s a literal camera angle or a recurring pattern to what they post (for example, jewelry with an interesting backdrop). Think of Instagram as the hook that grabs the consumer. The next step is directing web traffic to a site that offers more information and/or products for sale.

Become your Brand

Personality is so important when it comes to self-promotion. Because you don’t have an advertising team to push you, what you have to work with is your fabulous self. The consumer is interested to know about who created the object they can no longer live without. Remind yourself how enormous the internet is—it’s a wonderful thing that you have found each other. Honor their trust by creating an About Me page on your website and share your story and bio.

Stick to a Name

Whether it’s your own name or an alternative, the main way to communicate what you’re about is through a brand name. You’ll want it to fit what you are selling and come up with a logo too. A book agency is not going to have the same sound or aesthetic as a jewelry line. To that end, know your audience. When it comes to marketing, first impressions stick. This takes us back to learning from others: get to know other crafters doing what you have in mind for yourself. Determine what you think works for them, what you would do without, and what you can do better. Conducting this kind of market research before launching your website and social media is a good idea, as changing a name once you’ve established a vision can be confusing to consumers and fellow crafters alike.

 

Choose a Business Model  

The legal model that you choose for your business depends on how much responsibility you are interested in taking on. The rudimentary setup for a small business is a sole proprietorship. As the owner of the business, you become solely responsible for the gains and losses accrued under your watch. If you would prefer a little legal distance between you and your company, you may need a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Apply for a License

Every state enforces a set of codes and stipulations for small business ownership. While your business might be more fun than some, the legal structure is just as important as any other. If you want your business to take off, you have to set strong foundations. Set your prices in such a way that yields profit.

Pay your Taxes

Keep the IRS happy and pay your taxes, in full and on time. Running a business is a lot of work, but if you build it correctly you will succeed. Transparency is key. This is also true of your relations with your customers. When it comes down to it, your aim is to keep customers happy and coming back for more. Make contact easy and pleasant by providing sufficient communication tools, like a business email address that you check regularly.

Give Yourself Benefits

One of the best parts of being self-employed is that you get to decide your own benefits package. You decide how much vacation time and sick time you get. You decide your holidays, health insurance, life insurance, maternity/paternity leave and more!

Conclusion

Starting a small business is an exciting time in any field of work. For crafters, it’s a dream come true. You’re obviously passionate about your product if you think it’s worth value! All you need is to get the paperwork in order and you’ll be on your way!

eCommerce

Pointers for Selling Your Stuff on Social Media

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You could host a garage sale, or you could sell your unneeded stuff on social media and reach a much broader audience. There are apps like Let Go you can use, but it never hurts to leverage your network and the platforms that hundreds of millions of people use daily. It’s possible to sell on any social channel, but there are a few that are more opportune than others, so let’s focus on two: Instagram and Facebook. You don’t have to approach your online sale in the same way an e-commerce business does, but there are some things you need to keep in mind.

Take excellent photos

Do you remember the frenzy a few years ago when everyone thought that e-commerce sites like Amazon would eradicate brick-and-mortar stores? This prediction obviously did not come true. Some physical stores have closed, but others have managed to survive. One of the reasons why brick-and-mortar locations are still necessary is because people like to see and feel products before they buy them. You can try on an outfit in the store and decide against it, but if you buy something online and it doesn’t fit, sending it back is a hassle people make a point to avoid.

People’s need to imagine how a product will fit into their lives means pictures are essential. Snap crisp, well-lit photos from a variety of angles, and then post them on your social channels. Not only does top-notch photography allow potential buyers to visualize items better, it enhances your credibility. Instagram is particularly image-heavy even outside of sales (and internet users might see your pictures on your account rather than in their feeds, and therefore without captions), so be sure to show all the gritty details of that couch you hope to get rid of.

Strategize

Each platform necessitates a different approach to selling. Facebook offers its Marketplace, so people who use this feature come with shopping in mind. List your items separately: it is unlikely that consumers will sift through a dozen photos to double check for the prices they are after. Your Facebook Marketplace listings are also linked to your profile, so polish your page to assure consumers that you are not a sketchy person ripping them off.

Instagram does allow users to purchase items straight from the app, and there are outside parties you can sync with your account, so do some research and decide which option is right for you. Some might be better for businesses with consistent merchandise. Instagram ads, however, are available for anyone, so selling big-ticket items like cars might be worth it.

If you chose to post pictures of your items and caption them with your sales offers, remember that Instagram does not enable hyperlinks in individual posts. Be overt with your sales: people might not click on your photos, so including the words “for sale” in your images is more likely to catch browsers’ attention. It’s also a good idea to increase Instagram followers on your account so that you reach as many people as possible.

Prepare to negotiate

When you buy an item from a store, you usually do not hesitate to pay the listed price once you decide to take it with you. When it comes to used items, however, you may shop with a mental preparedness to negotiate a lower rate. Consumers might be determined to purchase your items for less than you ask for, so in some cases, it’s okay to price your items high and allow people to talk you down. Facebook’s Marketplace even boasts a Make Offer option, so be ready to engage in some back-and-forth with people.

Large-scale items

Pictures may not be enough when it comes to selling large-scale items, such as houses or apartments. If you’ve ever shopped for a new place to live online and loved the photos, only to find that the real thing is disappointing, then rest assured knowing that numerous other people have had the same experience. Pictures can lie—but video makes doing so more difficult.

Instagram and Facebook both offer video features, so take potential buyers for a guided tour of your house and show them all the details that 100 pictures cannot (and even if people don’t buy, they like to snoop, and they might pass on your information to someone who might be interested). When you put your house on the market, consider announcing on all of your channels that you will be hosting a Live streaming event of the property. This way, your friends and followers out of town can ignore you, but people in the area will pay attention.

If you have anything you are seeking to get rid of and acquire a bit of cash for it, Facebook and Instagram are excellent platforms to turn to. What items are you hoping to sell through social media?